Ellen DeGeneres returns to stand-up comedy after 15 years

Ellen DeGeneres has admitted she's returned to stand-up comedy because she craved a "challenge".

The 60-year-old TV star has ended her 15-year hiatus from the stand-up scene with her new Netflix special, 'Relatable' and she admitted she initially quit because she was "done" with being on stage after 20 years.

Ellen - who has hosted 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' since 2003 - said: "I was done with it, you know? I did it for like 20 years. I used to joke, when I was touring, 'Someday, you'll all come to me.' And now they do. So I just stopped going out."

The presenter admitted to fellow TV host Jimmy Kimmel that she used to find touring to be an exhausting experience.

However, she also missed the challenge of writing new material and performing it in front of a live audience.

Ellen - who is married to actress Portia de Rossi - shared: "It was my life for 20 years, and it was touring, and it was really hard because it was the beginning, and no one knows who you are. So when I was done with it, I was done.

"And then it had been 15 years and I decided I miss it and [thought] it would be a challenge to do another one, and I just decided to start writing. And I'm really happy with it."

The 'Finding Dory' star also revealed she was determined that 'Relatable' would reflect a different side of her personality - one that isn't often seen on her TV show.

She explained: "People know me from my talk show but they don't - I mean, a lot of people know that I did stand-up, but I've been on the air for 16 years, and [some people] just know my talk show.